Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Putty-nose on Talk Shows

It was recently reported that a species of Nigerian monkeys, called the putty-nose, is revealing hints about the origins of language. Scientists say that the monkeys string two different warning cries together, which suggests their ability to work up to complete sentences. A popular prime time talk show host heard this news and urged his staff to get the monkeys onto a future episode, so he could conduct interviews. Several of the producers quit over the subsequent scandals that erupted. The chatty monkeys made too many demands on the show’s budget, demanded too much compensation. The hotel, travel, and dining expenses the monkeys incurred put the show in the red. On top of that, the monkeys got on the air and couldn’t answer a single question about narcotraffikers and money-lauderers in Nigeria.